Authors: Alexander William Jones, Nico Pace, Alex Smith, Joseph Watts, Brandon Yam, and Susan C. Ryan

As Patterson, Franklin, and Hammond note in their chapter titled, “Making a Place for Archaeology in K–12 Education” (in our recently published book, Research, Education, and American Indian Partnerships at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center), “When archaeology reveals unwritten histories, it becomes a powerful tool for social justice, as those who feel they have no voice often feel they have no power in the present.”

This impactful and profound statement guided an immensely thoughtful discussion over Sunday dinner between me (Dr. Susan Ryan) and the 2024 College Field School students on how archaeology promotes healing, not only for those who lack a voice or narrative in the past and present, but ourselves as individuals. We’d like to share some of our reflections with you.

“Anthropology as a discipline within archaeology has changed my life for the better. A few years ago, I was injured in a work accident, and I was unable to work while recovering. Due to the lengthy healing process, I decided to return to college, in hopes of finding a more rewarding occupation. After graduating from Columbia College in Sonora, I transferred to California State University, Stanislaus. At “Stan State,” I enrolled as a declared anthropology major. Due to my learning disabilities, I’ve always struggled academically. School was simply tolerated, never enjoyed. However, because archaeology has always been an interest of mine, I have been able to find ways to work around my learning disabilities and to finally be able to enjoy learning and succeed academically. The field of archeology appears to be a small, intertwined group of professionals. With the connections I have been able to make over the past year, I have a couple of different prospects for employment as soon as I graduate university, in a field that I am enjoying and will enjoy. Being able to secure employment before or right after graduation is something that many in my generation are having difficulties with, due in part to over-saturation of graduates versus the workforce job openings. I am proud to be the first in my family to soon have a bachelor’s degree. But I am even more proud that I will be entering the workforce where I can help protect our Nation’s cultural resources.”

Alexander William Jones

“Archaeology is healing because archaeology shines light on what it means to be a human. Humanity in archaeology is often only seen through the small things. The pieces of pottery with fingerprint impressions, the manos with comfort grips or metates with so much use wear you know this item must have been cherished for multiple generations [manos and metates are grinding tools). In these objects we also find what could be defined as flaws. The pottery with shaky, unsteady lines or an uneven wall. The metates that were being formed only to break in half because of one wrong hit. Even with these so-called flaws we, as archaeologists, still cherish these items because these objects demonstrate just how human people of the past were. Past peoples had to learn these skills, tough learning curve and all, just like we have to. If they had to struggle through these learning curves, we can assume they had to struggle through other difficult aspects of life such as: the fear of failure, of being inadequate, grief, and sadness. Archaeology is material proof that the people of the past dealt with many of the same struggles that we do today, and they made it through. Perhaps, I can make it through too.”

Nico Pace

“Archaeology finds itself in a unique position within the larger canon of “Science,” in that it is still bound largely by echoes of processualism and it’s logical, staunchly numeric, “sciency”-science approach. And yet as of late, consistently trends toward more humanistic outlooks on the past. For me as a student, this dichotomy puts me at a crossroads when approaching the concept of “Healing” within the discipline, for myself, and descendant communities. As I think about this more, I cannot help but find the notion “Healing” an onus for the incoming cohort of prospective archaeologists, as we are simultaneously faced to learn, not only the dark past of the discipline, but relevant methodology rooted in a school of thought that largely cares less about what it digs up and who it belongs to. As I begin to think more seriously about this field as something I do over the course of my life bringing healing into my work scares me. If there is healing to be done, then there has to have been trauma inflicted right? How do I grapple with this? Do I even have the ability to heal anything at all? The answer right now is “I’m not sure.” I know I haven’t healed anything yet. But, luckily for me healing is not something that happens over a short period of time, and I have lots of it. I look forward to incorporating this idea into my work as I go along, and I especially look forward to the challenge.”

Alex Smith

“Archaeology in the United States has a controversial history. It started as a way to loot items of significance from Indigenous peoples to show off in museums 1,500+ miles away, where ignorant visitors could gawk at the strange objects without a care or appreciation of their cultural significance. Thankfully, archaeology seems to be healing now, albeit slower than it should be. Many archaeologists are now working in collaboration with Indigenous communities and are striving towards the repatriation of stolen people and objects. Ethics is a higher concern and public outreach programs aim to better educate the public to visit with respect. With the help of technological advancements, voices that were previously silenced are being amplified and archaeologists are beginning to better reflect the diverse identities across the country. Although the progress is slow, they do indicate that archaeology is headed in a positive direction and healing can begin to occur. While the wrongs of the past can never be undone, they can be addressed in a more ethical and inclusive way that better respects and represents the diverse cultures of the United States.”

Joseph Watts

“I heal when I ask questions. Every day I ask myself why I do what I do–why I do archaeology. I ask myself why I do it, how I do it, and for whom I do it. For each step of the archaeological process, we, or Western archaeologists, must not only collaborate with, but also center Indigenous peoples. Archaeology is Indigenous history. Western archaeologists must recognize that archaeology is Indigenous history. From surveying Hawkins Preserve to excavating backfill piles, I politicize my small yet significant actions toward achieving social justice. I ask questions, hoping that my actions disrupt knowledge systems or production processes. As such, I stop, and I listen. I listen to myself, to my body, and to Indigenous peoples. As I decenter myself and I center Indigenous peoples, I heal myself. I can be present for Indigenous peoples–for uplifting Indigenous sovereignty.”

Brandon Yam